French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Friday firmly defended nuclear power as a suitable energy to meet Europe's net-zero emissions climate goal despite strong feeling in Germany that it is too dangerous.

France derives the vast share of its electric power from nuclear plants and sees atomic energy as key to transitioning away from fossil fuels.

But Germany, after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, has turned its back on nuclear energy and is the continent's strongest promoter of natural gas as the right alternative to coal and other fossil fuels.

"Either we fight climate change with an ideological approach and we will fail, or we fight climate change with a scientific approach and then we will succeed. But this means recognising the added value of nuclear energy," said Le Maire at a press conference in Slovenia.

Le Maire was speaking on the sidelines of an EU finance ministers meeting at Brdo Castle in Slovenia, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union.

At issue is the so-called "green taxonomy" classification system that will define what constitutes sustainable investment as the EU moves towards carbon neutrality by 2050.

Due by the end of the year, this classification will open up access to green finance and give a competitive advantage to recognised sectors.

The subject divides the member states: while France, Poland and the Czech Republic defend the atom, countries such as Germany and Austria are fiercely opposed to it, as are many NGOs which see it as a risky technology.

"I just want to remind the other member states and European citizens that two expert reports have come to the same conclusion, namely that nuclear energy is necessary to fight climate change," Le Maire said.

In June 2019, a group of experts on sustainable finance concluded that nuclear energy, which emits virtually no CO2, could "help mitigate climate change" - but without concluding on its potential environmental damage.

Then in a report issued at the end of March, the European Commission's scientific service found that "no analysis provides scientific evidence that nuclear energy harms human health or the environment more than other energies" that could be included in the taxonomy.

"This means that nuclear energy should be included in the European taxonomy. There is no reason why nuclear energy should not be included in the European taxonomy by the end of the year," Le Maire insisted.

Related Links
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Framatome launches FoxGuard EU to bring cybersecurity expertise to European market
Lille, France(SPX) Sep 08, 2021
Framatome has announced the launch of FoxGuard EU at the International Cybersecurity Forum in Lille, France. This new business leverages the cybersecurity expertise of U.S.-based FoxGuard Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Framatome, for the European industry. Framatome has been advising utilities worldwide since 2012 in developing and implementing cybersecurity programs for both nuclear and non-nuclear assets. As its Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity, FoxGuard Solutions strengthens Fram ... read more